School of Agricultural Sciences (SAS) Collection

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https://dissertations.mak.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12281/4196

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    Feed quality perceptions among smallholder poultry farmers in Mukono district.
    (Makerere University, 2027) Nakato, Nankabirwa Fatumah
    The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions of feed quality among smallholder poultry farmers and influence on feeding practices in Mukono district. The specific objectives were; i) to characterize poultry farmers in Mukono District ii) to establish the sources of feed for poultry farmers in Mukono district iii) to determine feed quality perceptions among poultry farmers and iv) to establish the major challenges faced by smallholder farmers in accessing quality feeds. The study applied a cross-sectional research design using a quantitative approach to collect data from a sample size of 79 smallholder poultry farmers in Mukono district. Findings revealed that majority of the smallholder poultry farmers in Mukono district were predominantly female (54.5%), married (74.0%) and mainly kept broilers (81.8%), while 88.3% belonged to farmer groups or cooperatives. Respondents had a mean age of 45.8 years and an average of 10.4 years of poultry farming experience, indicating a relatively experienced farming population. The findings revealed that 74 percent of poultry farmers obtained their primary feeds through mixing their own feeds by purchasing individual ingredients the rest purchased ready-made feeds from commercial feed stores. Poultry farmers ranked smell as the most important aspect of feed quality, followed by brand reputation, texture, absence of molds. Nutritional content was ranked least important. The major challenges faced by smallholder poultry farmers in Mukono District in accessing quality feeds were lack of knowledge on proper feeds mixing and lack of money to purchase quality feeds. Farmers also reported inconsistent availability of feeds in shops and the presence of poor-quality or adulterated feeds in the market as important constraints. The study recommends that agricultural stakeholders provide regular farmer training on feed formulation, strengthen feed quality regulation, and support affordable access to quality poultry feeds through extension services and participate in farmer savings groups.
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    Murungi, Silver (2026). Factors influencing the adoption of black Soldier Fly larvae technology farming among poultry farmers in wakiso district. (Upublished undergraduate dissertation). Makerere univeristy, Kampala, Uganda.
    (Makerere University, 2026) Murungi, Silver
    This study assessed the factors influencing the adoption of BSF technology among poultry farmers in Wakiso District, focusing on socioeconomic characteristics, adoption determinants, perceived benefits, challenges, and enhancement strategies. A cross-sectional design was employed with a purposive sample of 60 poultry farmers (30 adopters and 30 non-adopters). Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The study found that the majority of farmers were female (70.0%), with a mean age of 39.5 years and secondary education or higher (78.3%). Eight factors significantly influenced BSF adoption: gender (p=0.024), education (p=0.037), awareness (p=0.000), knowledge (p=0.001), training (p=0.000), extension frequency (p=0.022), group membership (p=0.000), credit access (p=0.007), and perception (p=0.004). Training was the strongest predictor, with 95.5% of trained farmers adopting BSF. Adoption was characterized by recent uptake (43.33% using BSF for 7-12 months), with fresh larvae being the most common form (56.67%). The main perceived benefits were lower feed costs (56.67%) and faster poultry growth (56.67%). Key challenges included high infrastructure costs (16.67%) and inconsistent government support (16.67%). The most needed strategies were training on BSF production (45.00%), access to credit (41.67%), and market linkages (38.33%). The study concludes that institutional factors training, extension, and group membership—are critical drivers of BSF adoption. Recommendations include strengthening training programs, enhancing credit access, developing market linkages, and establishing supportive government policies to promote BSF adoption among poultry farmers in Wakiso District.
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    Determinants of maize crop yield in Kagadi district in Uganda
    (Makerere university, 2021) Semambo, Joseph
    The main objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of maize yield in Uganda, focusing on Kagadi district. The specific objectives were: To describe the socio-economic characteristics of the maize producers in Kagadi district, to examine the factors that influence the farm level yield of maize and to assess the challenges that farmers are facing the production of maize. Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 100 maize farmers from four (4) sub counties that make up Kagadi District. The data were collected through the use of oral interviews using semi structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, and linear Regression analysis. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The study results indicated that majority of respondents that took part in the study were married females who do not belong to a farmer group, and have limited access to extension services and credit. Results from the regression show a statistically significant positive relationship between the age of the famer, access to extension services, household size, distance from home to the market, amount of fertilizers used and maize production(P<0.05) major challenges that farmers face in maize production include high production costs, prolonged drought, weevil damage, among others. The study recommends that the government should develop strategic policies to improve the road network infrastructure to help maize farmers to easily access the market.